The Atlanta Hawks (NBA) have settled on Philips Arena renovations instead of a new arena elsewhere in the region and are talking with Mayor Kasim Reed about how it could happen.
Antony Ressler, Grant Hill and the rest of the Hawks ownership were pretty open about seeking an arena solution of some sort earlier this year, looking at two new-arena options as well as pricing out Philips Arena renovations.
In the end, renovating Philips Arena is probably the most cost-effective solution, costing between $150 million and $250 million. How much would come from the city versus the owners is up in the air, as well as the extent of the renovations and whether it could include some sort of entertainment district outside the arena.
Two big changes could come as part of Philips Arena renovations. The first would be tearing out the “wall of suites” on one side of Philips Arena and replacing them with a more traditional suite arrangement ringing the arena. The second would be overhaul of the arena concourses. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
In an interview, Reed said the Hawks have tapped a design team for the remodeling.
The team already has work underway on $2.5 million in significant, but unrelated, upgrades to player areas such as training rooms and lounges.
The makeover described by the mayor would be far more substantial. Reed said it will likely include undoing the “wall of suites” on one side of the arena, an element to the stadium that is not in fashion in the NBA.
Luxury boxes typically encircle indoor arenas, and the AJC reported earlier this year that at least one of the groups looking to acquire the Hawks had complained about the arena’s layout and stack of luxury suites.
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